PART II. "RETURN, return, ye men of bluid, "And bring me back my chylde!" A dolefu voice frae mid the ha Reculd, wi' echoes wylde. Bestraught wi' dule and dreid, nae pouir Full thrise he raught his ported speir, "O haly God, for his deir sake, He tint his praier, and drew his glaive, 66 Brayd on, brayd on, my stalwart sons, "Grit cause we hae to feir; 66 But ay the canny ferce contemn "The hap they canna veir." 'Return, return, ye men of bluid, And bring me back my chylde!' The storm grew ryfe, throuch a' the lift The black rain shour'd, and lichtning glent What feir possest their boding breests 66 Quoth Hardyknute “ I wold to Chryste Wi' speid they past, and syne they recht Deip groans sith heard, and throuch the mirk The moon, frae hind a sable cloud, Wi' sudden twinkle shane, Whan, on the cauldrif eard, they fand Besprent wi' gore, fra helm to spur, "What hatefu chance could hae the pouir To his complaint the bleiding knicht 'Lord Draffan's treasoun to confute He micht nae mair, for cruel dethe "I vow to God, I winna sleip "Till I see Draffan bleid. My sons your sister was owre fair: "But bruik he sall na lang "His gude betide; my last forbode "He'll trow belyve nae sang. "Bown ye my eydent friends to kyth "To me your luve sae deir; "The Norse' defeat mote weill persuade "Nae riever ye neid feir." The speirmen wi' a michty shout 'Return, return, ye men of bluid The stately dore full streitly steiked The stately dore, thouch streitly steiked Frae aff its hinges flie. "Whar ha ye tane my dochter deir? "Mair wold I see her deid "Than see her in your bridal bed "For a your portly meid. "What thouch my gude and valiant lord Lye strecht on the cauld clay? My sons the dethe may ablins spair 'Na riever here, my dame sae deir, 'May hiest harm betide his life By day-prime he or Hardyknute The ha, whare late the linkis bricht Sae gladsum shind at een, Whare penants gleit a gowden bleise Was now sae mirk, that, throuch the bound, Alse throuch the southern port the moon "Are ye in suith my deir luvd lord?” Nae mair she doucht to say, But sune she raisd her comely luik, "Ye are nae wont to greit wi' wreuch, "Of a' our wrangs, and her depart, "O wharefore heir yon feignand knicht "Ye suner wald hae perced his heart ye his ettling kend." "Had 'What may ye mein my peirles dame? 'That knicht did muve my ruthe "We balefu mane; I did na doubt 'His curtesie and truthe. 'He maun hae tint wi' sma renown 'His life in this fell rief; 'Richt sair it grieves me that he heir 'Met sic an ill relief.' Quoth she, wi' teirs that down her cheiks * May ill befa the tide that brocht 'Now, as I am a knicht of weir, 'I thocht his seeming trew; But, that he sae deceived my ruthe, 'Full sairly he sall rue.' "Sir Mordac to the sounding ha "Came wi' his cative fere;" 'My sire has sent this wounded knicht 'Your sell maun watch him a' the day, 'Tho Hardyknute lord Draffan's suit ་ By his gude dame and Fairly fair "Nocht muvit wi' the cative's speech, "I treasoun! cry'd, and Kenneth's blade “Was glisterand in his hand. |